What Love is
by LollipopSwirls
Summary: "not only are favoured in the gods eyes, but also in the eyes of the lovers they had each given their hearts to. The part which made looking at them sting my own chest." After surviving the wars she needs someone to heal the hole in her heart. ONE-SHOT Had to fix some errors so final redownload


**Just uploaded this fic again as there was a computer error. Sorry that my characters are a little OOC. I will not be continuing my other fan fiction (kaleidoscopes and blue skies) as I have lost interest in it and I have changed my writing style. I hope this story is and improvement and please comment on any mistakes I have made. I think the whole story is a bit confusing and rushed and I way over used commas but please please review!**

 **A _Xiphos_ is an ancient greek short sword used in close range combat**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own the characters used in this story, they belong to Rick Riordan.**

It seemed almost unfair that I was sitting here, alive. It seemed unfair that the sunset looked so beautiful and and the breeze continued to sweep gracefully through the strawberry fields. All the anger, frustration and guilt of the wars had boiled down to an underlying sadness to the camps mood. Life became a routine for me and i'm sure for many of the other campers to, we were all nameless heroes from two wars the second championed by seven demigods; who by all means deserved to shine for their hardships. But being just another camper we are left to pick up the pieces of our shattered families and lives to continue on in the shadow of our leaders. Who not only are favoured in the gods eyes, but also in the eyes of the lovers they had each given their hearts to. The part which made looking at them sting my own chest. Although my mind held no resentment towards the seven my heart could not help but feel resentment in their happiness.

As the sun was driven lower into the sky, some part of me picked up the distant sounding drone of the conch, calling for the campers to return to their cabins; I giggled " I've missed dinner". quickly slapping a hand over my mouth I looked around, making sure no one had heard me. Standing up I brushed my hand over stomach under my shirt, inhaling sharply as I realised what stress from the carnage wrecked upon demigods lives had driven me to do. I could easily feel my hips and rib cage protruding from my once curvaceous, yet athletic form. Horrified at what I had succumbed to I ran, one foot in front of the other. Barley aware of the half bird women patrolling the premises. Leaves captured and held prisoner in a light breeze twisted around and tickled the exposed flesh of my legs below the line of my clothes. Unconsciously the power of the harvest escaped my fingertips curling and moving the trees behind me as a swept by them. The air burning my throat now tinged with the scent of freshly cut wheat. My feet leaving imprints in the damp soil as I exhausted my self to the point of collapse. Stopping at the edge of a cliff looming over the ocean, the height causing my now delirious mind to lose control of my body. Legs giving way as I fell into a lush carpet of grass; spiralling away from consciousness.

My world changed. I felt disembodied from my weak physical form. My mind picked up on the echoed laughter from a memory, the first time he made my life hell. I smiled fondly as I recalled what he so gleefully said: " Now they match." Referring to the dark, vivid green of my hair courtesy of the dye he had added to my shampoo now matching the sensual, swirling ivy colour of my eyes. We had been 13 at the time, free from the worries of the impending havoc to be unleashed upon our world. More memories flashed past me of the iconic moments in my life. My eyes lingered on one, during the first war we had been driven to the front of the empire state building:

 _"Please Miranda" I begged, "keep our remaining siblings safe, stay inside they are all younger than ten, I can't bear to lose anymore family including you." My eyes became filled with tears which I held back to retain my brave facade. " Look after and help guard the wounded, I will stay down here." I begged until she relented and stayed on olympus._

 _As the battle began I fought with the last of my failing strength surrounded by empousi, dracaena and hell hounds; I almost gave up, until I felt someone else at my back. It was him the boy who had tormented me since I arrived at camp. Together we took down monsters around us with my dual long knives flashing bronze along with his xiphos hacking down on our enemies. For what felt like an eternity I forced my screaming muscles onward, slashing and creating a whirl wind of dust as wave after wave of monsters came at us; only to explode on contact from our celestial blades. With renewed courage I helped him push them back. When I saw it. With the grace of a dark angel an empousa had escaped her ranks and poised her javelin for the kill behind him. My body moved before my mind. Leaping over claws and dodging weapons. The rest of the world froze apart from myself and the demon. Using my body as his shield I jumped sideways, the javelin impaling through my ribcage creating a torrent of my scarlet liquid life force. I recalled feeling weightless as the clanging of metal faded to a dull ringing in my ears and strong hands wrapped around me._

After the scene faded another swiftly replaced it:

 _Water spilled down from my eyes over my blank, expressionless face. No sounds escaped from my lips as I sat and watched smoke leak over the amphitheatre, choking the fresh air around it; the final remnants of the fallen defenders of Manhattan and loved ones. Once again I relived the sensation of his strong arms wrapping around me, peppered with scars and abrasions. He wordlessly held me as I finally let go of the heart wrenching cries desperate to escape my chest, my shoulders had heaved with the effort. A few tears had escaped his own glassy blue eyes washing away their signature sparkle of mischief._

Returning to my body I reclaimed my consciousness smiling softly to my self as I realised he had become my life line and I his. He had later confided to me how he had fought through the battle and carried me to apollo's healers. I suffered critical blood loss. However the blade had missed my vital organs, and I found out he never left my side before I awoke two days later after the war had ended. We had grown close since the time we comforted each other. He even snuck out to meet me at night so we could fall asleep in each others arms at the edge of the forest, before waking up early to creep back into our cabins. In the second war we had once again been back to back and had defended each other as the earth had risen against us.

Suddenly the rational part of my brain awoke. Thoughts of wars broke through the false sense of security my memories had seduced me into. I stood up quickly and panicked. I hadn't been in the woods alone since before the wars. He had always been with me at night. I felt cornered, with trees in front and a raging sea under a 70 foot cliff behind. I heard a twig snap. Leaves crunch. A low growl emitted from the underbrush. My fear sounded in the form of a scream which unconsciously became his name. A full grown hell hound charged from the bushes it claws aiming to tear at my throat and send me to the underworld. Bracing for death I stood up straight and whispered my final words: "I love him."

Charon never came to collect me.

The boy, no, man that I had just realised I loved stood in front of me. His xiphos in hand as he fought and dispatched the hell hound to defend my life. The dust blew into my chocolate coloured hair but I didn't care as I stepped towards him. He turned, breathing heavily as he fixed his blue eyes on me filled with worry, determination and a spark of mischief. "Katie" he breathed, "are you hurt?" I stood silent and unmoving, he had come for me, saved me from death, he had searched for me in the woods in the night knowing that I was in danger. I realised why I had looked back on all the pranks he had pulled on me with fondness and why I needed him, wanted him, we had saved each other. This was love.

All thoughts aside I ran and threw my self towards him, his muscles rippled as he dropped his sword and put his hands around my waist spinning around from the momentum. "Katie, whats going on?" I cut him of with my lips. Our first kiss.

My hands went to his soft brown curls as I twisted them through my fingers. He slid he hands down to my thin waist firmly, making me feel so safe. Our lips moved together as I caressed his cheeks and held his face to mine. his palms traveled up and down my body gently as if I was an Autumn leaf. My tongue raced over his lips as the kiss became more heated, I would do anything for him right now.

He stopped the kiss pulling away panting " Katie I love you" he was going to continue but I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my thumb over his cheek meeting his eyes before pulling him into another kiss with more passion than the last. With tears streaking over cheeks I collided my lips with his as he scooped me up.

One arm under my legs, one supporting my back. The taste of salt slipped into my mouth and his tongue copied my earlier motion, gliding across my bottom lip, I gladly parted mine to let him enter. Our tongues moved together tenderly until his won out, exploring my mouth while our lips continued to mold together.

Still kissing he carried me to a smooth flat rock where i straddled his muscular abdomen crossing my legs behind his back. Running my hand across his face I moved my hands to his hair as he kissed along the line of my jaw. his hand teasingly moved lower and lower until he danced his fingertips over the small of my back. Twirling until they reach up to my chest he brushed against the tender skin over my heart as I emitted a moan.

Pulling his face back to mine I briefly kissed his swollen red lips before moving my hands up his shirt and over his defined muscles and chest placing small kisses on his jaw. removing my hands I kissed his lips a final time before snuggling into his neck. Once again he scooped me up bridal style with my hands around neck. Listening to his life rhythm as he sheathed his xiphos in it's scabbard and carried me back to camp.

The suns rays had begun to break through nyx's hold in a myriad of oranges, yellows, reds, pinks and purples. Early rising campers began to take notice of our arrival their voices flowing over each others as they ran to wake other demigods with calls of " their back" and "she's safe".

His voice rumbled into my ear " The camp was worried about you last night, we sent out a search party they all gave up, thinking you were lost to us." My lips hovered over his ear, tickling his skin " but you found me, for all your pranking you kept looking." Without a sound he set me down. I was slightly unsteady until his hands held my waist in front of him. His crystal blue eyes stared down at me not betraying their emotion before he spoke: "Katie Gardner, I will never stop looking for you, I will protect you till my last breath." His serious expression broke revealing the mischievous spark and he flashed a trademark smirk " I love you and I have since that first prank, although I didn't realise it until the first war" breathing heavily he continued " I'd rather die than be without you Katie." My green eyes were swirling with emotions as they met his which were now showing his raw, completely uncovered soul. I reached upwards with my frail arm and caressed his face with my hand " You know I am completely yours and I am wholly in love with you, Travis Stoll." I reached upon my toes and brought his face towards mine, gifting him a kiss which displayed all of my feelings. Baring my own soul to him as he did for me.

Once our lips had broken away from their loving embrace the camp erupted in cheers and cat calls, the world became sharper as I deeply inhaled his scent, mingled with the morning breeze and warm strawberries. No longer did I have a space in my heart for resentment against those who have the love of another as I myself had my entire heart filled with his.

 **Thank you for reading! NO flames please but critical responses are welcome.**


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